Talking the Bronx: A Q&A with Gary Axelbank

Last fall, Gary Axelbank celebrated the 20th anniversary of “BronxTalk,” his cable access show that features discussions on politics, policy, education, economic development, crime, arts, entertainment—or, as he puts it, “anything you have heard or thought of about the Bronx.”

Axelbank has interviewed virtually every notable elected official from the Bronx, and regularly hosts debates with candidates during election season, giving airtime to hot-button issues.

In September, Axelbank will host his 1,000th episode of the show, which airs live every Monday at 9 p.m. on BronxNet, and is rebroadcast several times a day throughout the week.

City & State Senior Correspondent Jon Lentz spoke with Axelbank about Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., a proposed rezoning in the borough and the opening of homeless centers.

The following is an edited transcript.

City & State: What do you discuss on your show?

Gary Axelbank: Any of the big topics, like the development of Yankee Stadium, the filtration plant, all the development projects we’ve covered. All of the elected officials have been on this show. The borough president will tell you that he got his first appearance on television, anywhere, through my show.

C&S: When was that?

GA: His first appearance was Feb. 13, 1996, and he debated Pedro Gautier Espada, and he lost actually. It was a special election, and then they came around and I believe they debated again that next fall and then he won that election. Rubén actually as it turns out has been our most frequent guest—I think he’s up to 22 visits on the show. But I don’t want anybody to get the idea that it’s a political show. I’ve moderated 45 or 47 debates, all the elected officials, but we’ve also had all the artists and musicians. People like DJ Kool Herc and Willie Colón and Eddie Palmieri have been on.

C&S: What have your shows focused on recently?

GA: We did three different shows on the city’s Jerome Avenue study, which is that somewhat controversial plan to rezone the lower half of Jerome Avenue. We did a show on standing up to violence. The speaker of the City Council is coming on. And then the week after the Bronx borough historian has a new tour book about the Bronx. So you name it, we’ve done it—music, art, culture, issues, whatever’s been going on in the Bronx.

C&S: Why is the Jerome Avenue rezoning controversial?

GA: The Department of City Planning is hoping to rezone the lower part of Jerome Avenue, about a 74-block area—a lot of people had talked about it for many years—spurred on by the mayor’s housing plan. The mayor said let’s look at neighborhoods throughout the city where maybe we can build some of this housing. So they looked at this area, which is practically from Yankee Stadium up to Fordham Road, where we’ve got a million auto body shops, etc., and they’re saying let’s take a look at it. The controversy comes in because the people of the Bronx are very self-conscious about other people making decisions for them, and we have a legacy of neighborhoods that were affected by development that they didn’t have input in, like Yankee Stadium. So the people are very concerned that they’re not being included. The city, of course, insists they are. So I did a show with the Department of City Planning, then the next show I did was with community members to talk about their interests, and then two weeks later I did a show with two community board district managers. It was the first time I’d ever done three shows on one subject in a short period of time, but it just felt in terms of getting people an idea, this is what’s there, it’s important to put it on there and see what the options are.

C&S: You’ve also looked at the issue of homelessness in the Bronx.

GA: Councilman Andy King and many people in the northeast Bronx are very concerned because shelters are opening up and communities are not having input. In a way, it’s a classic Bronx concern: things going on in our neighborhood that we don’t have input on. Right now, among the things that are of concern is that centers are opening up without either the proper review or a kind of silent review, and the next thing you know, they’ve opened up in our community.

C&S: What would you like to see done or changed in the borough?

GA: The Jerome Park Reservoir is a huge water facility in the northwest Bronx. It happens to be in my neighborhood so I happen to have a very personal interest. It borders on six or seven Bronx communities. It is a gorgeous facility that is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the people of the Bronx should have access to it. The Department of Environmental Protection treats it as if it’s a private facility that they manage. There is beautiful park space and beautiful vistas that people can look at and enjoy, and I really think they need to take down the outside fence or at least come up with a plan to begin to engage the people of the Bronx so they can recreate healthfully and have a beautiful space to appreciate their neighborhoods. It’s something that hasn’t got a lot of attention—the DEP has been very good at keeping that down—but I’m hoping to open up that dialogue. And with the Kingsbridge Armory turning into the Kingsbridge National Ice Center a block away, this is exactly the kind of thing we need to emphasize in the Bronx.